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Charles Xavier is seated in his office, out from beyond the oak desk, leaning forward intently and staring at the small black and white television that is turned up.
Upon the screen there are images of young African-Americans in protest, walking down the streets (presumably in the south). There's a look of worry on his face as he sits back and exhales, wondering what the future might hold. It's been such a turbulent few months in that part of the world and Charles Xavier is just hoping that things progress peacefully.
Raven, on the other hand, is losing patience with…Well. Patience. Once again, she's been gone for weeks, off doing who knows what. Probably joining in protests in the city, or infiltrating Klan meetings. Prejudice against mutants may be the worst thing in her book, but she doesn't much care for any type.
"Charles?" she calls, searching out the study first. "Are you busy? I'm home."
"Raven," Charles says as she enters. His face is distracted by the television, but a split second later he's giving her a faint smile. "You're back."
There's a bit of an awkward silence before he breaks it, with his smile growing wider. "Where was it this time? Barbados? London? Peking?"
"Just into the city this time," Raven smiles ruefully, dropping into one of the open chairs and leaning back. "The world is changing, Charles. Hopefully for the better this time. People are standing up for themselves," she gestures to the television. "They're not letting people push them around and tell them who and what they're allowed to be. Some people fight it. They always do, they always will. But we're gaining ground."
"I certainly hope you're right, Raven. I only worry that the strategies of these Bull Connors and others will someday break their spirit and force them towards violence. If that happens, they will have already lost," Charles says sadly.
"Can I get you something to drink?" he says rising, apparently hoping that Raven will walk with him.
"People won't always do what they should just because you asked nicely, Charles," Raven shakes her head as she stands. "Sometimes…" Trailing off, she moves to follow after him, looking around. "No students you don't want to corrupt hanging around?" she asks, only half-teasing. "If only they knew the truth about the professor…"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Raven," Charles says to her with a boyish grin that makes him look younger than he is. "The children are doing well. Classes are just finishing up for the year, we end in the early part of June."
Xavier seems genuinely happy as he walks down the hallway of the sunny section of the school. Outside, a group of mutants seem to be playing baseball. Unsurprisingly, every now and again, one of them cheat with their powers.
"Just think of the things you could do with your mind if you hadn't killed half of your brain cells on the weekends…" Raven grins, though the expression fades a little bit as she watches the children. "You know you can't keep them here forever, Charles. Eventually they're going to have to go out in the world. They're going to have to face the ugly things out there. If you keep them too safe, they're going to fall apart when they run into those things."
"No one complained to the Kennedy's that they sheltered their children, despite sending them off to boarding school," Charles says as they walk past a doorway and into the large kitchen. "These children need time. They need to be able to have childhoods. It's a process."
Green tile on the walls, with black and white checkers on the floor, a school of this size needs a heavy duty kitchen. Charles reaches into a large refrigerator to pull out a pair of Coca-Cola bottles. "Come now," he says in response to the brain cells remark, "Those that remain are all the stronger. It's evolution between the ears, dear Raven."
"Oh, they're Kennedys now," Raven asks, amused. "Careful, they'll start asking for better meals if we're supposed to be that sort of place." She settles in at the kitchen table, sideways in her chair where she can watch the hallway and look out the window at the same time. Habit. "You know, I think you just made an argument for trying to kill the weak ones off to encourage evolution," she winks back at him.
"Well, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the President, but I'd have our students take a back seat to no one." Charles takes the bottle cap from his drink and tosses it in the trashcan before bringing it to his lips. "I'm sure I didn't act any worse than most men who were my age. Besides, most nights you were right by my side."
Out in the distance, construction crews are removing the large satellite dish that used to assist Xavier through Cerebro. Only recently did the operation move underground. "So, what of your trip?"
"Yes, but my brain cells are so much better at adapting," Raven chuckles, popping the cap from her own bottle. "And other things. The trip went well," she answers, taking a sip as she watches the work on the grounds. "Like I said, things are changing. You have your ways of studying ideas, Charles, and I have mine. New York, at least, is…a little different. It's busy there. Everyone's going so fast they don't have time to really think about what you look like in passing. Sure, there are still bigots. But there are places where people are just different, too."
"All that city air has stripped your humility," Charles says with a flicker of a grin. "I suppose we all will find some way to help that we can call our own. New York has certainly become more progressive, and perhaps you're right. My first duty is to these students, of course, but I imagine you and agree on far things than we disagree upon, Raven. Let us try and focus upon that."
Raven smiles faintly, taking a sip of her coke. "So, summer's coming. Does that mean the kids are going home, or are you running the summer session again for the kids whose parents are so appalled they gave birth to a mutant that they can't bear to have them home for the summer?" Probably best if she doesn't think about finding those records before she gets any ideas about showing them how she feels about their choices.
"There will be a short summer session after a couple of weeks off. Most of the children are going home, but those who stay will take the class. Many of them will get jobs in and around Westchester, or here on the grounds. All in all it stands to be a fun time, I hope." But he won't be there. Xavier is handing off some of his teaching duties to head to the south. Perhaps he's not as patient as his good friend would think.
"Better than rattling around an empty house or trying to avoid parents who're afraid of you, at least," Raven says more quietly, glancing back at him. That much they share. "Although it puts a real damper on walking around the house naked, Charles," she shakes her head in mock disappointment.
"Yes, of course," Charles says in response to Raven's comment about avoiding parents who are afraid of you. He knows, all to well, about what Raven went through. And it's not as if his family life were perfect either. "I suppose the groundskeepers will be very happy with this development, I assure you."
"So what are you going to do, then?" Raven asks, taking another sip. "Teach advanced science courses for the ones who want to learn about that sort of thing? Plan a field trip to D.C. for the older ones? There are supposed to be some marches there soon, too. And it'd remind them that there a world out there."
"That," Charles says, setting his bottle down, "Will be up to their teacher. I'm taking a personal field trip. To Mississippi."
Raven's brows rise as she coughs on her soda. "You?" A slow smile curves, spreading into a grin. "Want some company?" she responds simply.
"I was hoping that perhaps you might agree to join me. It is my hope that Erik might join us as well," Charles says. He tilts his head towards her, "Your room is just as you left it."
"Well, then I can stay there long enough to pack for the trip," Raven declares, patting a hand on the table as she watches him with a small smile. "Your idea, even? Not Erik's?"
Charles gives her a long look and a short snort. "Come now, Raven, you give me such little credit."